Spectator May 2022

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By Dr. Rosemarie RuteckiWhen someone asks a mother what gift she wouldlike, a thought that comes to her mind is to have ahealthy family.There's no more extraordinary gift than having health.Health starts in the kitchen, and food is your medicine.The Rainbow diet is high in phytonutrients or phytochemicals,and they are components of plants thatare powerful defenders of health. Studies show thatpeople who eat more plant foods have a reduced riskof chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease,and cancer.Phytonutrients stimulate enzymes thathelp the body get rid of toxins, boost theimmune system, improve cardiovascularhealth, promote healthy estrogen metabolism,and encourage the death of cancercells.Fruits and vegetables are rich sources ofphytonutrients, for example, wholegrains, legumes, herbs, spices, nuts,seeds, and teas. Phytonutrients in foodcome in all different colors—green, yellow-orange,red, blue-purple, and white.Aiming to eat two of each color per day is a healthygoal! While darker-colored plants are generally higherin phytonutrients, fruits and veggies from the whitefamily have potent contributions.Take a look at what you are eating and write down thecolor. If you notice you are not eating many colors, tryincorporating new foods, as each food will give a differentcode of information to your cells.Combining good sources of protein with fruits andvegetables, the color of the Rainbow will significantlyimprove your health.Six Steps to Getting More Phytonutrients1. Aim for Nine Servings of Plant Foods every day. Atypical serving is half a cup of cooked vegetables,one cup of raw leafy vegetables, or a medium-sizedpiece of fruit.2. Know Your Phytonutrient Sources. The options forphytonutrient-rich meals are limitless. Here are somesources of phytonutrients to get you started: anyplant foods, including fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and even herbs andspices.3. Eat the Rainbow of Colors. Make ityour goal to get the entire seven colorsevery day with various foods.4. Vary Your Choices. One helpful hintis to try a new food every week toensure that you are getting a wider varietyof foods.5. Maximize Combinations—experimentwith combining plant foods andobserve how you feel. For example,putting turmeric, black pepper, andolive oil together in a meal mayenhance your health's phytonutrienteffects of all three foods. Adding lemon juice to spinachhelps iron become more absorbed by your body.6. Be Creative with Substitutions. Some foods giveus more phytonutrients than others! For example,you could substitute mashed potatoes with mashedpurple potatoes or sweet potatoes.To help you increase color in your diet, go towww.functional-pharmacy.com, and sign up to downloadthe Phytonutrient Spectrum Food Checklist. It'sa great guide that my kids love to account for howmany colors they have eaten in the day.Dr. Rosemarie Rutecki is a Pharmacist, Board-Certified in Functional Medicine You can contact her atwww.functional-pharmacy.com.20
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Spectator May 2022

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